Fire-escape.



PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

0. B. WEST.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. 1904.

2 sums-81mm 1.

51m venl'oz C/W 8. war

Q/Vitneomm No. 782,938. PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905. G. E. WEST.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented February 21, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. WEST, OF HARTLEY, IOIV A.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,938, dated February 21, 1905.

Application filed April 1, 1904. Serial No. 201,107.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. VVns'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartley,in the county of OBrien and State of Iowa. have in vented certain new and useful Improvements 'in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes, and more particularly to a carrying-car, means for controlling the descent thereof, and means for controlling the taking on and letting off of passengers.

The invention comprises certain novel con structions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of a fire-escape, illustrating one embodiment of the present invention, parts being broken away for disclosing interior structure. Fig. 2 represents a view in'front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents a view in side elevation thereof. Fig. 4 represents an enlarged detail view of the car-stopping mechanism in elevation, the building-wall being illustrated in section.

In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 1 1 indicate vertical columns or ways spaced apart and fixed to the wall 2 of a building by means of brackets or stays 3 3, arranged at suitable points in the length of said columns and connected with the respective column at one side thereof. A car-frame 4 is arranged outside the columns 1 and is-provided with horizontal braces 5 5, extending between the said columns and provided with antifrictionrollers 6 6, engaging the opposite sidesof each of said columns for permitting a vertical movement of the car-frame and preventing lateral displacement thereof. Journaled in the frame 4 is a brake-shaft 7, carrying at each end a brake-shoe 8, engaging the respective column 1, an operating-lever 9 being suitably connected with the shaft 7 for facilitating rotation thereof for applying the shoes 8 to the columns 1. The car-frame 4 is provided with a suitable bottom 10 and sides 11 11 fixed thereto and a back wall 12 also fixed thereto. Within the back wall 12 is provided a doorway adapted to be normally closed by a door 13. The frame 4 is not formed with a front wall, but is normally closed by a front door 14, the doors 13 and 14 sliding vertically in suitable guiding-grooves formed in the frame 4. The door 13 is provided with an inwardly-projecting hook 21, adapted in operation to engage the loop or bracket 22, fixed to the wall 2, as will hereinafter more fully appear. Fixed to the wall 2 below the horizontal plane of the loop 21 is a frame 23, through which the car 4 is designed to pass, and the door 14 is provided with a hook 24, adapted to engage the frame 23 during the descent of said car for purposes hereinafter specified.

Beneath the bottom 10 are preferably arranged suitable helical springs 20, adapted for cushioning the impact of the car against the ground in case of too rapid descent thereof.

In the practical application of the present invention I preferably arrange the columns 1 at opposite sides of windows in the wall 2, so that the car 4 will move past such windows in front of the same, said car being supported by cables 15 15, arranged at each side of and fixed to said car and each passed about an upper pulley 16, carried by a bracket 17, fixed to the respective column 1 and about a lower pulley 18, similarly carried by the lower end of said column. Each of the cables 15 is provided with a counterbalanoing weight 19, each weight 19 being slightly greater than one-halfthe weight of the car controlled thereby, so that when said car is free the same will move upwardly under the combined pressure of the two weights.

Pivoted to one of the beams of the frame 4, at the upper end thereof, is a lever 25, pressed upwardly by means of a spring 26, the lever 25 being connected by a wire or other suitable cable 25 to the operating-handle 9 for efi'ecting release of the shoes 8 from the columns 1 when the lever 9 is released by the operator, so that upon release ofsaid handle the car 4 will be free to move upwardly under the action of weights 19, providing said car is empty. Within the frame of the car 41 is arranged a horizontally-reciprocating pin 27, adapted to project beneath the door 13 when the same is in its opened or raised position, the spring 28 normally pressing the pin 27 in position for supporting the door 13 and a wire or other cable 29 being connected to said pin 27 and extending to a point below the handle 9 for facilitating retraction of said pin 27 for permitting closing of the door 13.

As best seen in Fig. 4, I provide each of the windows past which the car is adapted to move with means for stopping the ascent of the same consisting of a bracket 29, to which is pivoted a lever 30, provided with an operating-cable 31, extending through the wall 2 and connected with a pivotally-mounted footoperated lever 32, the lever 30 being adapted to be swung outwardly and upwardly by the depression of the lever 32 into a position in the path of movement of the car, the lever 30 being of sufiicient weight for causing the same to drop to the position indicated in Fig. 1 when the pressure is relieved from lever 32.

In operation the party at one of the uppermost windows causes the car to descend to a level with the window either by grasping the car itself, which is normally at the upper end of the columns 1, or by pulling upon one of the cables 15. hen the car has arrived to a level with the window, the operator grasps the handle 9 and applies the brakes 8 and then enters the car. As soon as he has entered the car he retracts the pin 27 and permits the closing of the door 13, and the car descends at the desired rate of speed, such speed being controlled by the degree of pressure upon the lever 9, the descent being controlled through the frictional contact of the shoes 8 with the columns 1. If a person or persons are at windows below the uppermost and desire to enter the car, the occupant may stop the same. if he is so disposed; but if not, after he has reached the ground and permitted the car to ascend it is only necessary for some one at one of the windows to place his foot upon the lever 32 of the respective window, and thereby cause the car to stop at the proper window, whereupon the parties may enter and the car permitted to descend in the manner described. The bracket 22 and frame 23 are arranged above the ground a distance equal to slightly less than twice the height of the car, and as the car descends through said frame the hook 21 engages the bracket 22 and causes the door 13 to remain stationary while the car descends further, and the hook 24 engages the frame 23 and causes the door let to remain stationary during the further descent of the car, whereby both of the doors 13 and 1 1 are opened, the opening of the door 1 1 permitting the passengers to leave the car. As soon as the car strikes the ground the door 13 will be I opened to its full extent, and the bolt or pin l 27 will be shot by the operation of the spring 28 and the door 13 thereby locked in its opened position. As soon as all of the passengers have left the car the spring 26, effecting a release of the shoes 8, permits the ascent of the car under the action of weights 19. which car during its ascent may be stopped at any window by the operation of the lever 32 at the particular window.

It will be seen that it is desirable to employ sheet-iron or other non-flammable material for the wall 12 and the door 13 and that it is further desirable to retain the door 13 in a closed position when the car is descending in order that flames from some of the windows passed may be prevented from entering the car. It is further desirable to have the door 13 open at the time the first occupant of the car during any of its descents enters such car in order that he may reach the lever 9 without difiiculty for applying the brake-shoes 8 before his entrance, so that the car may not start down at too great speed.

The fact that the door 13 is open at the time the car arrives at the window is also advantageous by reason of the fact that the said car in passing the lower windows, through which the flames may be issuing, may become so heated as to make it impossible to handle said door manually, and if the door were closed its heated condition would practically prevent the use of the car as a means of escape.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-escape, the combination of a vertically-movable car formed with a doorway for admitting passengers, a door normally closing said way, means for automatically opening said door, and a stop for sustaining the door in an opened condition.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination with a vertically-movable car, of a door arranged therein, means for automatically opening said door, and means for sustainingthe same in an open condition during the ascent of the car.

3. In a lire-escape, the combination with a vertically-movable car, of a vertically-movable door carried thereby, means extending in the path of movement of said door for preventing the descent of the same for the full extent of the movement of the car, and a support for sustaining said door in the position assumed upon the first descent of the car during the ascent of the same.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination of acar formed with a doorway for admitting passengers, a slidingly-mounted door closing said doorway, means for opening said door, and a spring-pressed detent adapted to move across the path of'movement of said door when the same is opened for sustaining the same in an opened condition during ascent of said car.

5. In a fire-escape, the combination with a I door for looking the door in its opened posivertically-movable car, of a vertically-movtion, and means for retracting said pin. 10 able door carried thereby, means extending in In testimony whereof I hereunto aiflx my the path of movement of said door for retainsignature in presence of two witnesses.

ing the same against movement during a part CHARLES E. VEST. of the descent of said car, a horiZontally-re- WVitnesses: ciprocating pin, a spring normally pressing WV. N. WEST,

the same into the path of movement of said PAUL KAHLER. 

